The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-08-19
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/ THE Nns4l SwNn1 hNnnOn.
The Calamity Now Said to b the Work q
wreckers- Details.
CHArswoRfR, Ill, Aug. 1a-Sensational
features were developed yesterday morn
ing as to the cause Of the wreck. Rumors
were ailoat the day before that IT was due
to the robbers who fired the bridge, but
little credence was given them. Yesterday
morning new facts, apparently showing
the catastrophe to be the work Of an or
ganized band came to light, and the COM
pauy find them worthy Of serious investi-
cation. Superintendent Armstrong said to
An Associated Press reporter that the more
he Investigated the more It appeared to
him tina: the bridge had been set on fire.
The burned grass in its immediate locality
was not Of the nature that seemed likely to
admit Of the bridge catching fire from it.
He had observed many thieves ut work and
had stopped them while they were despoll.
ing the wreck Of property and money.
Other instances Of robbing the dead were
being brought to his attention. The excur-
sion had been extensively advertised and
the time 1t would pass over the bridge was
well known. Citizens say that gang Of
suspicious fellows have been lettering
around Chatsworth for some few
days. Many Of these were found early
ct the wreck, paying more atten-
tion to relieving the bodies Of val
uables than to caring for them otherwise.
Trainmen and passengers had frequent con-
tentlOns with the scouudrels. In one in
stance Superintendent Armstrong found q
L, . - ~A -. h.
the property taken from the wreck was
stored. While the people Of the town have
done all in their power for the sufferers,
there 10 horde Of tramps and thieves in
this vicinity who do nothing but carry of
any thing they can get their hands on.
The scene at the two morgues yesterday
was both horrifying and sickening. The
extreme heat Of Thursday had rapidly ad-
vanced the decomposition Of mangled
corpses, and the stencil arising from these
in putrefacti0n was 0verpowering. Each
body was covered in spots with flies that
buzzed about in the sunlight, the ghoulish
insects alternating from body to body.
No means were at hand for the preserve
tion Of the remains, the supply Of ice being
exceedingly limited. Those of the dead
who were unidentified lay on the mOrgues
guarded by village policemen. the faces
Of the corpses being hidden from
view by blankets or an old coat.
The situation became so urgent that
the officials Of the road decided to remove
the bodies to Peoria by consent Of Coroner
Long, and having previously ordered the
necessary number Of plain wooden coflins
from Bloomington, and which arrived dur
ing the morning.
The pecuniary loss arising from the &C
cident is simply enormous. Under the laws
of Illinois the relatives Of those killed in
the disaster will, If they have any
claims at all, deplete the treasury
Of the Toledo, Peoria Il Western
Of something like $350OOO, and those
injured would receive at least $780,
OOO more. The superintendent of the road,
Mr.. Armstrong, by indirection at least,
claims the accident was in no wise the re-
suit of negligence or the lack Of care sim
ply by act of God. Mr.. Armstrong and his
foreman Of bridges insist the structure was
entirely safe and the roadbed in condition
to stand rapid transit.
From the evidence adduced before the
railroad board it appears that the train was
speeding along at from thirty to thirty-five
miles per hour. Mr.. Armstrong says the
track is in fair order, having the customary
number of ties per mile and steel rails with
fish bar attachments. There is unques-
toned evidence to show tho air brakes
were tested twice at Peoria and once at
Forest, where coach was dropped and an
other substituted. Mr.. Markley says he
examined the bridge IN May last and
considered it safe for two years to
come. Many people here express belief
that the train was wrecked by thieves
for the purposes of plumber. Nothing
in substantlation Of this theory has
as yet been developed. Mr.. Armstrong told
the commissioners that he ordered general
inspection of the bridges along the road
with view of ascertaining their exact con-
dition. He will produce evidence IN sup
port Of his proposition before the commits
sioncrs on Tuesday next. The claim is
made that the trestle would not stand the
weight of two locomotives, and that the
first engine broke down the bridge by a
sudden reverse followed by an immediate
opening of the throttle.
1t is understood that the company will,
through its general Offices at Peoria, fur
nish to the pablo complete list of the
dead, wounded and missing. Unless this
is done the general public will never know
the full extent Of the calamity. The bodies |
Of the victims, nearly all Of the wounded
and the personal effects Of the passengers,
are no longer in Chatsworth and Piper |
City. All efforts to accurately ascertain |
the identity of the sufferers lave up |
to this time been unavailing. The coroner |
himself is at sea with his figures and now |
intimates that he may possibly have under |
estimated the full extent Of the disaster. |
The railroad officials alone can enlighten |
the public on this point. The newspapers |
are powerless, as numerous bodies and |
wounded people were removed before any |
OF the correspondents arrived at Chats |
worth.
A Huge Collapse.